Monthly Archives: April 2014

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Urgent plea


Rainforest Action NetworkThe message below comes to you from Rudi Putra, a longtime ally and hero of RAN’s and winner of the 2014 Goldman Environmental Prize – the world’s most prestigious award for grassroots environmental activism.Dear friends,

My name is Rudi and I feel like the luckiest person alive.

I grew up in a place teeming with wild orangutans, elephants, tigers, sunbears and Sumatran rhinos. My family and I lived in balance with the mountains, forests and rivers surrounding us. From an early age, I knew I had to take care of the beauty that surrounded me. But as huge multi-national companies expand their reach and palm plantations spread, I know that I can’t protect these pristine places alone. That’s why I’m asking you to join me in telling PepsiCo to eliminate the Conflict Palm Oil from its products.

I have worked much of my life to protect the 6.4 million acres of prime tropical rainforests in the Leuser Ecosystem. I fell in love with the Sumatran rhino, the smallest and the most critically endangered rhino of all – and have spent years tracking, researching and protecting these special creatures from poachers.

I have left my home in Indonesia to come to yours to deliver a very important message. I need your help to protect the last rhino’s and rainforests of Indonesia’s Leuser Ecosystem from Conflict Palm Oil.

I have witnessed vast areas of forests destroyed to make way for palm oil plantations, forests I knew were the homes of endangered species. I’ve removed traps from the forest corridors used by the last Sumatran elephants and tigers. I have even found animals poisoned, speared, and burned alive by poachers and plantation workers.

And still, the plantations keep growing across Aceh, always feeding the demand for Conflict Palm Oil. It must stop. We must protect the world’s rainforests. We must stop powerful and wealthy international corporations from exploiting and destroying irreplaceable Indonesian ecosystems for profit.

My community and I work tirelessly to shut down and destroy illegal palm oil plantations inside the federally protected Leuser Ecosystem, using chainsaws and uprooting illegal oil palms. We do this to protect our families from the floods that result from the destruction of the forests on the hillsides that surround our homes. But we can not do this alone. We need your help.

It is with great honor that I am here in the US and receiving the Goldman Prize. But it is an even greater honor to know that YOU will stand with me and hold PepsiCo to account for the impact of its products.

For the rhino’s and our life,
Rudi Putra
_______________________________________________
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Keep In Mind


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11 Things The Senate Should Remember While Voting On The Minimum Wage

After returning from a two-week recess, the Senate is planning to vote on raising the minimum wage to $10.10 this Wednesday. The bill, called the “Minimum Wage Fairness Act,” needs 60 votes to advance thanks to the de facto GOP filibuster threat. And while in the past we have used this space to outline many of the different benefits of raising the minimum wage to $10.10, in anticipation of this important vote we wanted to go over some of the most important reasons one more time. Here they are:

1. Increasing the minimum wage to $10.10 and indexing it to inflation would raise the wages of 28 million workers by $35 billion. Raising the minimum wage would provide Americans who work hard a better opportunity to get ahead while giving the economy a needed shot in the arm.

2. In 2013, CEOs made 774 times the pay of minimum wage workers. While the top CEOs made an average of $11.7 million in 2013, full-time workers making the minimum wage took home only $15,080 a year.

3. Nearly two-thirds of all minimum wage workers are women. Raising the minimum wage to $10.10 would benefit 15 million women.

4. One million veterans would benefit from a minimum wage increase. After risking their lives to protect our country, 1 in 10 veterans working in America today are paid wages low enough that they would receive a raise if the minimum wage is raised to $10.10.

5. Raising the minimum wage will cut government spending on food stamps. Millions of workers earning the minimum wage make so little that they qualify for food stamps (SNAP benefits). This, in effect, amounts to taxpayers subsidizing corporations paying low-wages. Raising wages for low-income workers would actually cut government spending on SNAP by $4.6 billion a year, or $46 billion over the next 10 years, as workers earn enough on their own to no longer rely on the program.

6. Minimum wage workers are older than you think. Nearly 90 percent of minimum wage workers are 20 years or older. The average minimum wage worker is 35 years old. A higher minimum wage doesn’t just mean more spending money for a teenager, it means greater economic security for the millions of Americans who rely on it as their primary income.

7. Businesses see the value in increasing the minimum wage. Nearly 60 percent of small business owners recognize that raising the minimum wage would benefit businesses and support raising it. In fact, 82 percent of those surveyed don’t pay any of their workers the federal minimum wage of $7.25.

8. It won’t hurt job creation. States have raised the minimum wage 91 times since 1987 during periods of high unemployment, and in more than half of those instances the unemployment rate actually fell. Over 600 economists signed a letter agreeing that a minimum wage increase doesn’t hurt job creation.

9. In polls, nearly three-quarters of Americans support a minimum wage increase to $10.10. Pew Research found that 73 percent of Americans back a minimum wage increase.

10. Millions of children will be more secure. If we raise the minimum wage to $10.10, 21 million children will have at least one parent whose pay will go up.

11. A $10.10 minimum wage means a $16.1 billion boost for people of color. Raising the minimum wage is a matter of racial justice: people of color are far more likely to work minimum wage jobs and those who do are far more likely to be in poverty. A $10.10 minimum wage would lift three and a half million people of color out of poverty and add $16.1 billion to their incomes.

BOTTOM LINE: Over the next few days, as Senators take to the chamber floor to debate and then vote on this legislation that would help the economy and millions of American workers, they should make sure they keep in mind these vital facts on why the minimum wage should be raised to $10.10. A vote against increasing the minimum wage is quite simply a vote against working Americans.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

50 Million


Campaign for America's Future
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Sent to Prison for using a restroom?

Gary D. Young: Drop felony charges against Joquan.

Allow him to graduate with his sister at Paris High.

Stop the school to prison pipeline.

On Feb 2, Joquan Wallace, a student at Paris High School in Paris Texas, asked and got permission from his teacher to use the restroom. Joquan was profiled and followed by the school police officer Joey McCarthy. McCarthy peeped at Joquan under the bathroom stall and when Joquan was returning to class, McCarthy interrogated him as to why he wasn’t using the bathroom closer to his classroom. Joquan told him because he had to do number 2. Joquan had permission to go to the restroom. He was not breaking any school rule, nor was he committing a criminal act. The incident ended in Joquan being assaulted and injured by both McCarthy and Paris High Principal Gary Preston. Both said they told Joquan to go to the office and he didn’t do what he was told. Both Preston and McCarthy claim they were hit when they were placing Joquan under arrest. Numerous witnesses say Joquan never hit anyone. Joquan ended up with two felony charges and a trip to the emergency room with visable injuries. Neither Preston nor McCarthy had any visable injuries according to Joquans parents. Joquan was a good student with no discipline problems. He had no prior arrests. He excelled in sports and had won sports awards for the school. He was up for scholarships from numerous colleges. He was suspended from school. He will not be allowed to walk the stage to graduate with his class. He may not receive any college scholarships. People should support Joquan because its time to end the School to Prison Pipeline. A students future should not be destroyed over an incident that school officials instigated. Hold School officials accountable for bad behavior. It can help prevent this from happening to other students.

Black History

the Senate ~~ CONGRESS 4/29 ~~ the House


capitolphonelines

The Senate stands adjourned until 10:00am on Tuesday, April 29, 2014.

Following the prayer and pledge, the Senate will be in morning business until 11:00am with the Majority controlling the first half and the Republicans controlling the final half.

At 11:00am, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session and proceed to 6 roll call votes in relation to the following:

–        Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #585, Sheryl H. Lipman, of TN, to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Tennessee;

–        Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #586, Stanley Allen Bastian, of WA, to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Washington;

–        Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #587, Manish S. Shah, of IL, to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois;

–        Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #588, Daniel D. Crabtree, of KS, to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Kansas;

–        Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #589, Cynthia Ann Bashant, CA, to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of California; and

–        Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #590, Jon David Levy, of ME, to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Maine.

There will be two minutes of prior to each vote and all after the first vote will be 10 minutes in duration.

If cloture is invoked on any of the nominations, all post cloture time will be yielded back, the Senate will resume Legislative Session and the confirmation votes will occur at a time to be determined by the Majority Leader, after consultation with the Republican Leader on Wednesday, April 30th.

The Senate will recess following the votes until 2:15pm to allow for the weekly caucus meetings.

The Majority will control the time from 2:15pm until 3:30pm and the Republicans will control the time from 3:30pm until 4:45pm.

WRAP UP

Roll Call Votes

1)     Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #585, Sheryl H. Lipman, of TN, to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Tennessee; Invoked: 58-39

2)     Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #586, Stanley Allen Bastian, of WA, to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Washington; Invoked: 55-41

3)     Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #587, Manish S. Shah, of IL, to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois; Invoked: 57-40

4)     Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #588, Daniel D. Crabtree, of KS, to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Kansas;  Invoked 57-39

5)     Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #589, Cynthia Ann Bashant, CA, to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of California; Invoked: 56-41

6)     Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #590, Jon David Levy, of ME, to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Maine; Invoked: 63-34

 

Legislative items

Adopted S.Res.427, Expressing the sense of the Senate about the importance of effective civic education programs in schools in the United States.

 

Adopted S.Res.428, promoting minority health awareness and supporting the goals and ideals of National Minority Health Month in April 2014, which include bringing attention to the health disparities faced by minority populations of the United States, such as American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders.

 

Adopted S.Res.429, designating April 30, 2014, as “Día de los Niños: Celebrating Young Americans”.

 

No Additional Executive items

==================================

Last Floor Action:
6:08:35 P.M. – The House adjourned. The next meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on April 30, 2014.

Last Floor Action:4/28
9:49:45 P.M. – The House adjourned.

The next meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on April 29, 2014.

10:00:25 A.M.  The House convened, starting a new legislative day.
10:00:33 A.M.  The Speaker designated the Honorable John J. Duncan Jr. to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.
10:00:58 A.M.  MORNING-HOUR DEBATE – The House proceeded with Morning-Hour Debate. At the conclusion of Morning-Hour, the House will recess until 12:00 p.m. for the start of legislative business.
10:43:46 A.M.  The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is scheduled for 12:00 P.M. today.

12:00:36 P.M.  The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of April 29.
12:00:38 P.M.  Today’s prayer was offered by Reverend Bennie Tate, Rock Springs Church, Milner, Georgia
12:02:09 P.M. The Speaker announced approval of the Journal. Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved.
12:02:12 P.M.  PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair designated Mr. McNerney to lead the Members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
12:02:33 P.M.  ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with one minute speeches which by direction of the Chair, would be limited to 15 per side of the aisle.
12:25:42 P.M. The Speaker announced that votes on suspensions, if ordered, will be postponed until a time to be announced.
12:26:10 P.M. H.R. 4488  Mr. Garrett moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill. H.R. 4488 — “To make technical corrections to two bills enabling the presentation of congressional gold medals, and for other purposes.”
12:26:16 P.M. H.R. 4488  Considered under suspension of the rules.
12:26:18 P.M. H.R. 4488  DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4488.
12:34:03 P.M. H.R. 4488  On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
12:34:41 P.M. H.R. 627  Mr. Garrett moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended. H.R. 627 — “To provide for the issuance of coins to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the National Park Service, and for other purposes.”
12:34:54 P.M. H.R. 627 Considered under suspension of the rules.
12:34:56 P.M. H.R. 627 DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 627.
12:46:45 P.M. H.R. 627  At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
12:47:09 P.M. H.R. 4167  Mr. Garrett moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended. H.R. 4167 — “To amend section 13 of the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, known as the Volcker Rule, to exclude certain debt securities of collateralized loan obligations from the prohibition against acquiring or retaining an ownership interest in a hedge fund or private equity fund.”
12:47:21 P.M. H.R. 4167  Considered under suspension of the rules.
12:47:22 P.M. H.R. 4167 DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4167.
1:21:02 P.M. H.R. 4167  On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
1:22:02 P.M. H. Res. 555 Considered as privileged matter. H. Res. 555 — “Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 4414) to clarify the treatment under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of health plans in which expatriates are the primary enrollees, and for other purposes.”
1:22:45 P.M. H. Res. 555  DEBATE – The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H. Res. 555.
2:19:19 P.M. H. Res. 555  On ordering the previous question Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 226 – 189 (Roll no. 180).
2:26:47 P.M. H. Res. 555  On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 238 – 181 (Roll no. 181).
2:26:48 P.M. H. Res. 555  Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
2:27:58 P.M. H.R. 4414  Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 555. H.R. 4414 — “To clarify the treatment under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of health plans in which expatriates are the primary enrollees, and for other purposes.”
2:28:03 P.M. H.R. 4414  Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4414 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be considered read. Bill is closed to amendments. The resolution provides that the amendment printed in Report No. 113-422 shall be considered as adopted.
2:28:10 P.M. H.R. 4414  DEBATE – The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 4414.
3:14:09 P.M. H.R. 4414 The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
3:45:11 P.M. H.R. 4414  On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 268 – 150 (Roll no. 182).
3:45:12 P.M. H.R. 4414 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
3:45:30 P.M. UNFINISHED BUSINESS – The Chair announced that the unfinished business was the question on adoption of a motion to suspend the rules which had been debated earlier and on which further proceedings had been postponed.
3:45:30 P.M. H.R. 627 Considered as unfinished business. H.R. 627 — “To provide for the issuance of coins to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the National Park Service, and for other purposes.”
3:54:37 P.M. H.R. 627  On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 403 – 13 (Roll no. 183).
3:56:06 P.M. ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with further one minute speeches.
4:08:16 P.M.  SPECIAL ORDER SPEECHES – The House has concluded all anticipated legislative business and has proceeded to Special Order speeches.
5:38:48 P.M. Mr. Sessions filed a report from the Committee on Rules on H. Res. 557.
5:39:32 P.M. SPECIAL ORDER SPEECHES – The House resumed Special Order speeches.
6:08:27 P.M.  Mr. Rohrabacher moved that the House do now adjourn.
6:08:34 P.M.  On motion to adjourn Agreed to by voice vote.
6:08:35 P.M. The House adjourned. The next meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on April 30, 2014.

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